Affliction
by writtentempest204
Summary: He deserved this pain. He was going to leave Al without a family… he really hadn't wanted it to come to this. I suppose this is the Truth's way of getting even…        currently working on a better title... suggestions are welcome!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. All rights reserved to their respective owners.**

Part 1

Firelight danced softly against the dilapidated brick shelter. Thin metal-framed beds were crowded together, with hardly any room for the nurses to walk.

Yet somehow, they managed to make it to the beds of the ailing patients. Ed curled up, hugging himself tighter. _How pointless_, he thought. With that, a violent cough wracked his body and it shook the whole bed. There was quite a commotion, as the nurses desperately tried everything to help the patients. However, it was to no avail. Ed's cough worsened, and blood stained his already sweat-soaked sheets. A nurse was by in a moment to check on him. He felt brief hands fluttering uselessly over him before leaving to attend to another patient whose coughing fit had just begun.

Ed closed his eyes and tried to tune out the sounds of the sickened population. Quarantine. At least, that's what they had called it when they brought him here. Opening his eyes slightly, he took in a sight he knew well: desperate nurses with permanent pain etched into their features, dozens of patients all cramped together in a small area, and the torches as the only source of light, dancing somberly against the old stone walls. The room smelled sickly, with the odor of dried blood and sweat. Ed watched solemnly as the nurses freed a few more beds of their previous occupants.

Night had fallen outside, and they were dying. Despite himself, Ed felt more tears come to his eyes. He tried angrily blinking them away.

_It can't end like this… I only just got him back, and now…_ Ed shook his head feebly, and gave way to another coughing fit. He felt more hands on him, moving him gently as they replaced his sheets. But he couldn't possibly sleep.

_Thank goodness he isn't here…_

That was Ed's only solace in this den of despair: Alphonse hadn't gotten sick. Of course, an "epidemic" of this magnitude could be fatal, and they'd been lucky to catch it when they did.

Nevertheless, according to the doctors, even the best hospitalization could not help them. Despite their best efforts, they couldn't figure out what was causing this so-called epidemic. The only thing they could be sure of was that it was particular only to this area. They only moved the "hopeless" cases to this run-down place; in other words, they moved anyone who had caught this "virus". He'd just been glad Al wasn't anywhere near this place when it happened.

After he had succeeded in returning Al to his body, Ed decided to remain with the military and continue his research. Al had stayed with him for a while, until Mustang had given Ed the orders for a particularly lengthy mission. Though Ed had expected an argument, Al was surprisingly accommodating, mentioning he'd been meaning to visit Winry and Granny Pinako in Resembool.

Ed scowled. _Great. I chose the perfect time to come to this place…_ he thought sarcastically. _But they still won't listen to me because they think I'm just a kid… _His scowl deepened. He might be able to help, but no one would listen to him. If anyone did happen to listen, they didn't understand what he was talking about.

He recalled he'd already come here before, but he'd thought he and Al had helped settle the issues with this town. Apparently, they hadn't. Of course, he had been taken in with the rest as soon as he started coughing. The military had already quarantined the entire town for fear the disease would spread. However, due to its location and lack of resources, there wasn't much else the military could do. Though the area had been good for gold mining, it was located in the middle of nowhere.

Turning over, Ed considered just how much trouble all this must be giving Mustang right now… he smiled with grim satisfaction. Of course, he didn't expect any intervention from the military _now_, especially in his state. If he was just another "hopeless case", what was the point of even trying to visit him? He grimaced, a part of him wishing he DID have someone to talk to, some decent company other than those he'd already met in this damp, disgusting place.

Another coughing fit arose, and Ed coughed for about two minutes before he could finally breathe again. Blood stained his hands where they'd come up to block his cough, mingled with the sweat from his raging fever. Grimacing again, Ed clenched his bloody fist, this time glad there was no one he cared about to suffer the same fate.

Essentially, he was torn in two… he yearned to escape, and he couldn't possibly hope for a better outcome than death, not as he was now. Despair clouded his eyes as he recalled his mother, and the agony he felt at losing her. More tears came, but he let them fall; he did so because he deserved this pain. He was going to leave Al without a family… he really hadn't wanted it to come to this.

_I suppose this is the Truth's way of getting even…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

Part 2

Mustang toyed indifferently with the pen in his hand, putting off his paperwork as usual. Absently, he wondered where Fullmetal had gotten to…

Sighing, he let the pen fall to the desk with a sharp _clack_ before leaning back in his chair. All he knew about Fullmetal's disappearance was that he'd gotten orders from the higher-ups… Mustang's mouth pulled down and he sighed again, this time in irritation.

The phone interrupted his contemplation. Picking up the receiver, Mustang heard an all too familiar voice.

"… Colonel?"

"Alphonse. It's good to hear from you. How are you and your brother?"

"I'm fine, just enjoying my time in Risembool. As for Ed, I don't know how he is, since he hasn't called me or anything. He's still on the mission you gave him. Has he contacted you at all?"

Roy's eyes widened with shock and horror. Al had no idea the wrenching feeling his words brought to the colonel's stomach. A strangled sound escaped his throat, barely audible. Mustang's subordinates all glanced up in confusion, and worry clouded their expressions when they saw their commanding officer's face.

"No, Al. I haven't heard from him." Roy tried to keep his voice sounding normal, but it was slightly more monotone than usual. Luckily for him, Al didn't seem to notice.

"Oh. Ok, well I'm sure he's fine! After all, it is Ed we're talking about here!" Roy heard a nervous chuckle on the other end of the line. It was obvious that Al was trying to convince himself that his brother was fine.

Mustang's stomach turned again.

"Al, did Ed happen to tell you where he was going?"

"… What? What do you mean?"

Mustang mentally slapped himself. In his moment of shock, he'd asked the completely wrong question. The young boy's voice now sounded frantic.

"Does that mean you don't know where he is? How could you not know where you sent him? Have you really heard from him, and you're just not telling me? I—"

"Alphonse, listen to me." Roy cut him off. "I didn't send Ed on that mission."

The silence on the other end of the line was so heavy that Roy felt claustrophobic.

"… Then… who…?"

"I was told Ed was going on a mission, but they didn't tell me where he was going. The higher-ups may have given the order. Did he say anything about a classified mission? What all did he tell you?"

"Well… he did mention you had kept it secret… but since he thought it was you, he told me anyway."

Mustang was both relieved and indignant at that; relieved, because they now had an idea of where Ed went. He was indignant because Ed had the gall to disobey him like that. True, he hadn't given the order, but that showed just how little regard Ed had for the Colonel's authority. Roy wasn't about to let anyone know just how much that hurt.

"So then where is he?"

"Well, they said he was going back to Xenotime."

Roy mentally pulled up the image of the national map in his mind; he recollected that Ed had once visited Xenotime to inspect the philosopher's stone and the red water. He also recalled that it was one of the most secluded places on the map. Cursing internally, Mustang thanked Al and hung up.

"Is everything alright, sir?" Hawkeye's voice sounded slightly strained, which was unusual for her.

"That was Al… he was calling about Ed."

"Apparently, he's been sent to Xenotime, where they had that issue with the red water."

Four gaping expressions, and one shocked expression met Mustang's own concerned one. His brow wrinkled in concentration.

"But… but that's in the middle of nowhere!" Breda stuttered.

"I know… but that's not what worries me." Mustang paused, though he didn't need to. He had the rapt attention of all his subordinates.

"Xenotime isn't exactly the most advanced place. In fact, it's getting rather primeval. The military never took much interest after they stopped turning up gold. Now it's of no use to us because it is rapidly deteriorating."

"Then why would they send Ed there?" Kain asked in his innocent voice.

Mustang remained silent, and stared so intently at his desk that, if his eyes held the same power as his gloves, he would have burned a hole through it.

_Hughes was investigating the higher-ups in the military… and then Ed told us… watch out for trouble within the military. We have to watch ourselves…_

"I don't know what it means, but I do know that Ed and Hughes both warned us of deception in the higher ranks of the military."

"Sir, would that mean you're doubting them?" Falman sounded incredulous.

"It wouldn't be the first time, and I continue to get more reason to suspect foul play."

"Then what are you gonna do, Chief?" Havoc drawled through his cigarette.

"… I'm going to Xenotime."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

Part 3

Al hung up the phone nervously, trying to calm his suddenly erratic breathing. He turned, frightened, as he heard someone in the doorway.

"Al? Are you okay?" Winry's gentle voice and concerned eyes greeted him.

"I'm… I just called the Colonel…"

"Oh? Any word about Ed?"

"Well… that's just it. The Colonel said he didn't send Ed on that mission…" Al's face pulled into a look of tight concentration.

"… What? What do you mean? You told me Ed said the Colonel had sent him back to… where was it again?"

"Xenotime." Al hesitated, as he and Ed had never discussed their visits with Winry or Pinako.

"Where is that anyway?"

"Well… it's a small gold mining town, and it's very isolated."

"Why would they send Ed there?"

"… I don't know…" Al didn't say he had a pretty good idea why they'd send his brother out there. "Winry, I'm going to Central." Al strode upstairs to pack his bags.

Winry stopped him, grabbing his arm. "Wait, why?"

"I need to talk to the Colonel." Al didn't say aloud that he knew the Colonel would try to find Ed. Or that he was going with Roy to find his brother.

"Oh. Well, have a safe trip… and tell Ed he needs to do his maintenance! I'm sure he's forgotten already…"

Al laughed and reassured Winry he'd do so.

Winry watched Al head upstairs and sighed inwardly. How she wished she could go with them… But she couldn't always be hanging around them, and she had to let them work this issue out themselves. Besides, she had customers waiting on her.

Turning, Winry continued packing for her own trip back to Rush Valley.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

Part 4

It's always intrigued Ed how he could make out bits of information through the haze. This time, he noted a bit of significant information. Though his eyes remained closed, he strained his ears to hear the muted voices of the nurses nearby.

"Did you hear? Apparently, they're sending a Colonel!"

"Well, what for? It's not like there's much to see out here… and why would the military suddenly take such an interest?" The second nurse's voice sounded bitter at the prospect of having the military's dogs around.

"Well, that's what I wondered! And the Flame Alchemist no less! I wonder if he's just coming out here to get rid of this town. I really can't think of any reason they'd have to do anything. After all, I'd say we're doing a pretty good job of dying out all on our own…" The nurse didn't try to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

Ed strained to hear more, but some violent coughing from the bed a few down from his own interrupted their conversation. Ed opened his eyes, tired as he was, and forced himself to sit up. His breathing was labored, and his chest felt pinched tight. However, this wasn't what caused his distress.

Ed was desperately trying to make sense of what he'd just heard; surely he wasn't sick enough to become delusional, was he? However, if he wasn't just imaging it, then it meant the Colonel would be there to check up on him. He froze in shock at the idea.

_No. No way! There's NO CHANCE I'm gonna let that jerk see me here…_

Determined now, Ed pulled himself up and grasped the bed for support. Carefully, he put his feet on the ground and tried to stand…

"Hey! You're not supposed to be moving around!" One of the nurses from earlier exclaimed with a worried look. Hurrying over, she tried to convince Edward to get back into bed, but he merely shrugged her off.

"I'm bored… I wanna get out of here." He felt bad about lying, but he really didn't feel like telling them he was the Fullmetal Alchemist; it would only arouse more suspicion. He hadn't told anyone, as per his orders, and thought it best. Last time, he and his brother hadn't been given the best reception… he was lucky no one seemed to recognize him.

"Well, you're not going anywhere right now! Besides, it's late and you need rest. If you like, I can set up a way for you to go outside tomorrow. How's that?" The nurse sounded incredibly like Winry as she scolded Edward.

Grinning slightly at the thought, Ed nodded, realizing he couldn't argue unless he _wanted_ them to get suspicious.

"Can I have my stuff back, then? I'd like my clothes and my coat…"

"Sure thing, sweetie…" The nurse gently guided him back to bed, holding him up as he suddenly stopped for a coughing fit. Calmly, she drew out a handkerchief as she watched the small boy cough blood into it. As soon as he finished, she tucked him in, only just resisting a sudden urge to give him a peck on the cheek. She watched as he rolled over and sighed in exhaustion.

Checking the clock, she stepped out of the room, now emptier with all the recent deaths, and shut the door quietly. She went to sit at a nearby table, where some other tired-looking nurses were discussing the illness currently on their hands.

Absently, the nurse, Clara, traced her finger along the rim of her cup as she considered the blond alchemist. He must have forgotten her already, because he never showed any signs of recognition. Either that, or he was very good at hiding things. She wouldn't be surprised, seeing as how he so effectively beat her in Aquroya. A small smile graced her lips, remembering her stunts, but was quickly erased by the thought of the now sunken city. Such a beautiful place…

She meditated on how she'd come to Xenotime, mainly seeking a new nursing job, but partially hoping to find Edward. She knew it was a slim chance, and so she was pleasantly surprised to hear he was back in town. Of course, she'd only known it when she saw the little blond head of hair passing through the crowd. Not to mention anyone could hear his short rants from a mile away. Clara suppressed a little giggle, then sighed sadly.

Clara's brow furrowed as she thought of the epidemic… she'd heard rumors about this place, and she was trying to piece together what Ed had found here regarding the Philosopher's stone. She hadn't seen the giant suit of armor following him around, and that too was a mystery. She shook her head, trying to clear her head. She was a bit too tired from lack of sleep; she couldn't think straight.

Instead, Clara's thoughts turned to Edward again, and how sick he'd become… She frowned, hating the thought of such a short-tempered and determined boy looking as he did. She recalled how muscular and fit he'd been when she'd first seen him in Aquroya, as compared to how thin and weak he looked now. She hated it. He was too much of a fighter.

Shaking her head again, Clara tried to redirect her thoughts elsewhere, focusing instead on her gratitude. She was glad to see that the fire in those golden eyes hadn't died down, not yet.

The voices of the other nurses pierced her reverie, and she turned her attention to them.

"What do you think, Clara?"

"Hmm?" Her face reddened a little in embarrassment; she hadn't been listening.

The other nurse's face was understanding. "We were just discussing possible causes for this…" She didn't need to finish.

"Hmm… well, I agree, it _is_ strange. It doesn't seem to be contagious, since none of us have gotten sick, but maybe the key is in the terrible cough they all have. It seems this town had problems with that before."

Another, younger nurse spoke up. "Yeah, I'd heard that too. I wonder what caused it… or if it's even the same thing!"

"Yeah…" Clara tuned out again, and turned her head to stare at the closed door, behind which all their patients lay.

_The question is… why is Edward the only one coughing blood…?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

Part 5

The train rattled, and the Colonel had to focus on the snow whizzing past to distract himself from how hard the seats were. He was starting to really regret giving Ed a hard time about traveling so much… after all, the seats _hurt_!

"Sir, would you like to stop for a while?" Hawkeye suggested. Despite his efforts, he hadn't been able to convince anyone to stay back at Central, even at risk of a court martial. Secretly, he was glad he hadn't gone alone, but he had a bad feeling about all this.

"No. We should head straight there. After all, we have too much ground to cover, and the sooner we get there, the sooner I can burn him to a crisp for his stupidity."

"Isn't that a bit harsh, Colonel?" Hawkeye looked straight at him.

_She's always straight to the point…._ The truth is, the Colonel really was worried about Ed, but he sure wasn't going to let anyone else know.

Hawkeye merely shrugged and turned back to her paper. The others were sitting in another car, leaving the Colonel the opportunity to stare back out the window.

He gazed through the steadily growing white haze.

_Ed… you had better be all right. Or else I'm going to kill you myself._

With these thoughts echoing in his mind, the white blanket faded slowly to a black sheet of sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

Part 6

The snow was building outside, the large flakes carried along the invisible tufts of the slowly strengthening wind.

"WHAT?"

"You heard me! You see the snow, don't you? No way am I letting you go out there!"

"But yesterday, you said—"

"I'm perfectly aware of what I said, but I also didn't know it was going to snow. So, no, you may not go out, but you may roam around inside if you like."

Ed gritted his teeth, hating to sound whiny, but convinced himself it was better to act like a child than to have people suspect who he was. Still, he hated being cooped up and the oncoming snow only disrupted his plans more.

_I _have_ to get out of here…_ Ed was trying to come up with some counter-argument, but he kept getting thrown off by the nurse's stare… _Where have I seen that face before?_ He was entirely sure it reminded him of someone…

"Well? Will you please just stay put? I'll be honest: I want to get out of here just as much as you, but I still have to stay and help. I can't do that if I have to be worried about you running off too, Edward." The nurse relaxed her stance but did not move from her position blocking the door. It wasn't exactly necessary, since Ed looked like he was ready to fall over anyway, but his determination hadn't died… and Clara knew enough about him to know his determination would win every time.

However, the shock of recognition in his eyes told her that she'd just let him know too much.

"How do you… wait… CLARA?" Ed's voice rose a bit, causing a few of the nurses to look their way with puzzled glances.

"Now, now, no need to shout," she said gently as she took him gently by the shoulder and placed her finger gently but firmly over his mouth. "After all, we have other patients here too. So how about it? I'll get your clothes and we can walk around inside for awhile if you like."

Ed couldn't move for a moment, but soon shook himself out of his stupor. Obviously, Psiren had a reason for being here, and if she hadn't told anyone, then he wouldn't ask. However, she must have known and not told anyone who he was… But why?

Nodding, Ed agreed, and Clara was back soon with his clothes. After he'd changed, the two left the room, Clara's hand gently behind Ed should he need help.

Soon, the two were out of the room and exploring more of the other areas. These areas were in chillier parts of the building; therefore, they were empty to prevent the patients from getting more ill. As soon as they were out of earshot of the others, Ed began.

"So… Psiren. I mean, Clara, what are you doing here?" Ed's voice sounded rough from his coughing, but it also sounded wary. Apparently, he still didn't trust her from last time.

Letting out a small sigh, she responded. "Well, the truth is, Aquroya is no longer the tourist hotspot. It's drowned." Though Ed had known that, it still made him sad to hear. Clara continued. "After it sunk, I was out of a job essentially." Here she smirked in his direction. "During my time as Psiren, I took on many… _personas_, as you well know." Ed narrowed his eyes in irritation, which earned him a chuckle. "Anyway, I learned I really enjoyed my time as a nurse… I enjoy helping people. When I heard about the people of Xenotime and their city of gold, I hoped I might be able to do something similar as I had with Aquroya. However, I soon learned that many of the inhabitants around here were very sick. Coming here, I learned it had been bad a while ago, with an unexplained cough going around, and no apparent cure. Since some sort of event a few years ago, which no one would tell me about, it's gotten worse. So now it's become some sort of epidemic. That's why I took up a job as a nurse here. If only I knew more about it…"

At this point, she looked at Ed pointedly, knowing he would know. After all, she'd been the one who pointed him in this direction. She hadn't known all the details at the time, only that they'd been working on the components behind a Philosopher's stone at the time.

Ed grimaced, and felt an uncomfortable clenching in his stomach, unrelated to his current illness. He avoided looking at Clara, but decided he owed her as much as an answer for her help.

"Yeah… well, Al and I took your advice and headed out here to investigate. Turns out, they were working on something called "red water", a toxic substance that had been causing illness in the town. They were trying to use it to restore their town's reputation as the gold mining town." Clara nodded, but didn't say anything. Understanding, Ed continued. "Well, while we were here, we managed to get rid of the red water, and the person making it… at least, that's what we thought."

"So… you haven't told anyone who you are. Why? Wouldn't they recognize you?"

"No. The first time we came, there were two other boys, Russell and Fletcher Tringham, who claimed they were the Elric brothers. They were the ones trying to develop the red stone. Apparently, it was something their father had done… and died trying to undo." Clara wanted to ask, but figured that was all Ed knew regarding the boys' history.

"Wait… did you say Tringham? I heard about those two! They were helping… what was his name? Some land baron with a project. I'd heard about two other boys who came and caused trouble by pretending to be the Elric brothers. That was you two?"

"Yeah, except we weren't pretending." Ed angrily rubbed his cheek, reflecting on the nasty hit Russell had given him that night, while Clara giggled at the sight.

"Well then, you said you helped? How'd you manage to get rid of the red water?"

"Actually, we all ended up working together. Apparently, Mugiar, that land baron you mentioned, knew that Russell and Fletcher weren't really the Elric brothers, and was just using them." Ed paused, silently trying to catch his breath from walking so much. "Anyway, we'd been fighting him when the mines collapsed where he'd been producing the red water. After that, we used the plants to drain the excess, and then released them through the alchemic process back into the air. We thought we'd taken care of it…" Ed trailed off, now worried to think it had been his fault.

Turning, Ed expressed his worry to the woman beside him. "Clara… do you think it's my fault then? I mean, I thought we'd taken care of it, but maybe… maybe there was something we missed… that means-!" Ed was getting worked up, and Clara gently put her hand on him to try and calm him.

"Edward, it doesn't mean it was your fault. You and I know the people had been sick before you ever came. I've heard there were deaths because of it. You don't know whether this is just a delayed reaction or not."

Ed wanted to respond, but was cut short by a sudden and violent coughing fit. Whipping out her cloth, Clara readily held it under the boy's mouth as he coughed.

_More blood… this isn't good._ Clara's thoughts were distracted, so she nearly missed what the boy said next.

"Thanks… every time I've tried to tell someone about it, no one's listened. So thanks." With that, he slumped in her arms, exhausted from the effort.

Smiling sadly, she whispered to the unconscious boy, "You're welcome, Ed. Now I just need to know why you need out of here so badly…" Shaking her head, she gently picked up the boy and brought him back to the sick room.

On her way, she had a thought. _Maybe it's something to do with that Colonel…_


End file.
